Opening Reception: Friday, October 10, 5-7 PM
Barbara Garber | Shadows and Leftovers | Elizabeth Rowland Mayor Gallery
Exhibition Statement | In her new series of sculptural wall pieces titled Shadows and Leftovers, Barbara Garber has creatively repurposed materials salvaged from previous installations. The scale of these works is intimate, which allows them to cast intriguing shadows. Over the past year, as she worked on these pieces, the memories associated with the leftover materials have deepened and become more immediate. Many of the site-specific installations from which these materials were derived resulted from collaborations with her husband. Gradually, Garber began to envision the series as an installation, with the sculptural pieces arranged at varying levels, interacting and conversing with one another. Their intricate shadows bring the room to life, creating unexpected shapes. In addition to the six new sculptural pieces she has created, Garber has also produced a group of small paintings. These paintings sometimes act as catalysts for the wall sculptures and serve as a way for her to find direction in her work. The Elizabeth Rowland Mayer Gallery, with its unique, irregular shape and track lighting, provides an intriguing opportunity to engage in a new architectural space. Although Garber was initially uncertain about her objectives, she felt inspired to create a piece for the gallery’s longest wall. She began by making loops of various sizes from leftover materials and covering them with wet plaster. By experimenting with the arrangement of the loops on the longest wall in her studio, she experienced a sense of excitement, likening it to “visual music”.
Biography | Barbara Garber has been a practicing artist for fifty-plus years. She studied at the New York Studio School for painting and drawing, received an MA in Art Education and Art History from New York University, and a BA from Sarah Lawrence College. Garber has been awarded grants from the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts as well as Resident Fellowships at The Virginia Center for the Creative Arts; the Sanskrit Foundation in New Delhi, India; and the American Academy in Rome. Her work has been exhibited at The Drawing Center, NYC; the Berkshire Museum, MA; the Fleming Museum, VT; the Portland Art Museum, ME; the Aldrich Museum, CT; the Fitchburg Museum, MA; A.I.R. Gallery, NYC; Art in General, NYC; and The Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, VT; among others.
Artist Statement | Capturing transient and fragile moments is at the heart of Garber’s work. She generally begins with a sense of not knowing, aiming to keep her ideas flexible and spontaneous. During the lockdown, her studio transformed into a refuge where she worked haphazardly, rummaging through old projects and large black bags of materials collected from Canal Street or the hardware store. From these bags, which contained plastic tubing, steel rods, circles of wire, an odd piece of cardboard, and remnants from large wall installations created between 1993 and 2003, she began to reimagine scraps into intimate wall sculptures. Each piece is mounted slightly off the wall, casting intricate shadows that move them in unexpected directions. For Garber, the process is the most important aspect of any creative endeavor, a perspective that has grown increasingly significant in a world filled with uncertainty and rapid change.
